Ok. This is another dark chapter,
so much so im thinking about changing this to a drama,
rather than a comedy. So fair warning: This chapter contains some really
dark themes, touching on death and genocide and
basically, human euthinasia.
So... have fun with that.
...
Over the course of the next few days, Mephisto had kept his word to Talia. He showed her the proper way to sit at the floor pillows and how to light the sacred lanterns at the altars. He taught her the Zanavian national anthem... and had her sing it for him about 5 times... just to be SURE she got it perfect (also because she had the most soothing, voice that sounded like the audio version of vanilla and honey and Mephisto had just been happy that he was totally right about his Talia being a good singer theory). He introduced her to Zanavians most famous authors and their books (that was her favorite lesson!). He even got Praxina to help model for her the proper way a Zanavian lady carried herself in those loose, flowing dresses without tripping on the excessive fabric.
But... the absolute BEST moment was when he took her to the Castle library. Though it was absolutely massive, it didn't hold a candle to the amount of books in the Xerin library, however, every single book inside was one she had never seen before. She had never seen so many books she didn't recognize! Why she hadn't just moved her bed in here the first night she would never know!
Mephisto SHOULD have foreseen this reaction, but like usual, he was surprised by her, and couldn't bring himself to tear her away from her hearts desire to attempt to read every book inside. So, he decided to give her the day off and he'd come back to get her for dinner.
When he returned, he was NOT surprised to find Talia sitting atop a small mountain of books. Around her were stacks of other books, each piled higher than the last. She had poured herself into them, as he had firmly expected.
When he asked her how many she had actually read, she informed him 15 start to finish. But she had skimmed almost 30 more and browsed the summary of about 80. She had them categorized in the piles around her by her interest level in them.
"Well, it's time for dinner, so you may wanna say goodbye to your new friends," Mephisto grinned at her. Talia defensively held the book she was currently reading close to her chest.
"C-Can I see them again tomorrow?"
"Sure,"
"And... could I take some with me? To read in bed?"
"You can take one,"
"Just one?"
"I don't need you staying up all night and being crabby for tomorrow's lesson," Mephisto spoke with a lightness in his voice, but Talia could tell he was serious. He certainly had her number and knew her well enough not to trust her with multiple books. He made sure to add for emphasis, "Again,"
Relenting, Talia glanced around frantically until she found the book she wanted to read that night. She took it, and the book she had currently been reading and got up to follow him. He held up his hand to stop her.
"Woah, woah, Princess, I said one,"
"I'm gonna finish this one on our way to dinner," Talia explained, holding up her two books, "and THIS one I'm going to read before bed,"
Mephisto chuckled as he shook his head and held out his hand. Without needing any words, Talia handed him the book she was saving for later for him to carry. He then offered his free arm to her so he could escort her to dinner in the same fashion in which they had done every evening. Because he was carrying her other book, she was able to read the one she had without fumbling or any awkwardness. She flipped her book open to her saved page and scanned her eyes over the words. Mephisto lead her out of the library and down the hall, once again, to the dining hall.
It was odd how second nature it all had become...
Talia hadn't thought twice about giving Mephisto her book, or that he was ok with carrying it as they walked. It was just... how they operated now.
The castle staff had definitely noticed the change in the young lord. He seemed... happier, in a way. He wasn't sleeping in nearly as late, and he wasn't asking for nearly as much to drink throughout the day. He also improved his grooming habits slightly. Not that he was necessarily ungroomed to begin with, the boy always took pride in how he looked. But he certainly seemed to smell much nicer, opting to wear cologne more often than usual, rather than saving it for special occasions.
One of the chamber maids said she saw the young lord reading a book! On literary analysis.
"With no pictures!" she swore.
"You musta been seeing things," The gardener had dismissed.
But it was true. Mephisto HAD given reading a second shot... and found... he actually did like it quite a bit. Funny, how he had forgotten how much...
Had anyone in the castle known the Xerin princess as well as the young lord, they would have spotted the changes in her as well. How she laughed so much more lately. And not just slight chuckles or deep exhales out of her nose, but full, heart filling belly laughs that filled the castle with joy. And brought a sense of glowing pride to Mephisto, who simply lived to make her laugh, now if only to hear more of that voice.
She was engaging in conversations with the staff as well, making a point to remember all their names, a habit that Mephisto had instilled in her.
But mostly it was noted just how much time they spent together... even when their lessons were done and had been excused from Gramorr's dinner table. They often took their desert and tea together and would spend their moments, before bed, in each others company. Usually in one of the parlors, teaching each other zanavian and xerin games the other had never tried.
One time, they stayed up very late playing such a rousing game of Bubottun (A/N: think like billiards or something...) that their laughters and banter awoke Lord Gramorr himself two floors up! And he sent a crystal message to tell them to go to bed IMMEDIATELY. They sprinted down the hall, suppressing their feverish giggles like a couple of children. They were in such a sleepy tiz, they both forgot Mephisto could teleport!
The only person who didn't seem pleased by all this was Praxina. She sat at the dinner table watching her brother and his fiance whisper jokes back and forth to each other, suppressing their giggles so not to disturb Lord Gramorr. Twisting her fork in tiny, intense circles through her pasta, over and over until the metal scrapped the china. The abrasive sound got the attention of the whole table, including her uncle. Praxina dropped her fork silently and smiled respectfully at him.
"My apologies, Lord Gramorr,"
Gramorr said nothing, but went back to his meal, indicating she was not in any further trouble. Once his attention was off her, she shot a dirty look at her brother and Talia, who returned her glare with confused stares.
She returned her attention back to her plate, scowling.
Mephisto took a moment and Talia caught that look on his face again... that worried, confused look that he often got when thinking of Praxina. After a brief moment an idea came to him and he lit up in that big smile of his. He leaned over to try and get his sisters attention, subtlety.
"Pssst... hey, Prax," Mephisto whispered. Praxina looked up at him.
"Talia and me are gonna see the seamstress after dinner... Wanna come along?"
"Why would I want do that?" Praxina frowned.
"Talia doesn't know anything about Zanavian fashion and I don't wear dresses," Mephisto explained sincerely, "You'd really be doing us a big favor,"
Talia's head snapped to look at him. What was he talking about? Mephisto was very fashionable! The dresses he picked out for her were always on point. Not to mention the fashion books she had been looking at gave her ample knowledge of what was current in the stylish zanavian wardrobe. He had even told her that they were more than qualified to meet with the seamstress alone.
Mephisto felt her confusion and shot her a look. that unmistakably said 'go along with it,'
"Right Talia?"
"Oh... Right..." Talia smiled. She looked for at Praxina and folded her fingers in a begging motion, "Please, Lady Praxina? It'd mean a lot to us,"
"Fine, whatever, I'll go," Praxina gave in, rolling her eyes, "But only if you both stop saying plurals to describe your feelings. Its freaking me out,"
"What is all the whispering about?" An increasingly agitated Gramorr asked. The three teens all sat back up in their upright positions and continued to eat their meal in the silence that was expected of them.
...
With dinner concluded and the seamstress welcomed inside the castle, she needed no escort to the large show room she worked in. She started setting up the various fabrics. Conjuring up clothing, the way Mephisto did it, was great in a pinch, but it could never last for very long and wasn't nearly as beautiful or intricate of the handy work of a professional.
The seamstress was a wirely old woman who had no patience for Mephisto's jokes or Talia's indecisiveness. In fact, the only person she got along with was Praxina. They spoke the same abrupt, direct language.
Things like,
"Her neck is short long for the high collars,"
along with...
"Her corset should be clasped, not buttoned,"
and
"This bussel would only make her hips look even wider,"
All this kept Talia very annoyed. But Mephisto kept the air light by deflecting every time something negative was said about Talia by using self deprecating humor. The only person who appreciated it was Talia, but it was always short lived by the next passive-aggressive comment from the Zanavian born women.
Though her personality was... prickly, the seamstress as amazing to watch. She wove her hands in intricate patterns in the air, her magic circle staying up the entire time as multiple spells were being cast by her hands. Sheers were snipping perfectly measured pieces of fabric while floating threaded needles stitched up the pieces and putting all the dresses together.
By the time Talia had tried on a dress, it was time to take it off and try on the next one that had just been made. And so on and so on.
Soon, Talia had a sizable wardrobe fit for any Zanavia royal. Mephisto insisted on seeing every dress. Opting to step out while she was changing, and coming back in to give his comments.
Though mostly positive, he would voice his opinion of possible improvements every ONCE in awhile... Nothing major, just suggestions on his preferences. Every time he did, however he was aggressively shut down by both his sister and the seamstress. So he was always bullied into submission, and ended up just coming in to say how great each dress was, instead.
"Wow, she really looks the part, huh?" Mephisto had asked his sister, but loud enough for Talia to hear. Praxina stuck her nose in the air as she walked over to a roll of fabric to survey the quality.
"She'll pass," Praxina said, but a sincere smile formed on her features as she said, "You were right to ask my help, you both would have probably dressed her like one of workers at the Zanavian cathouse,"
Mephisto smiled warmly, happy to see his sister enjoying herself. He realized he hadn't been spending much time with her lately, and unlike him, she didn't really have any friends. She could be mean and nasty, but she tended to get quite lonely without him. She knew it. He knew it. And they both knew that the other knew it, but they never spoke of it. It just was.
"I have an idea for the next one," Praxina said suddenly to the seamstress. She looked at her brother and shooed him away. Mephisto jokingly pouted and let himself out the door. Once he was gone, Praxina used a simple dressing spell to make a dress form on Talia for the seamstress to see, "Think you can handle it?"
"That? It's so plain," The seamstress recoiled.
"Are you sure, Praxina?" Talia asked, looking at herself in the mirror, "It's pretty but it seems..."
"Trust me, my brother will love it,"
...
When Mephisto was allowed back inside, Talia was wearing the gown Praxina had designed. The seamstress was already working on the next one, but Mephisto kept his eyes, wide, on Talia. Tears threatened to sting his eyes at the sight of her. He was shocked, staring at the woman who he was going to spend the rest of his life with. His heart skipped a few beats and his jaw completely dropped.
Praxina stood smugly at his side, her arms folded at her chest, looking beyond proud of herself.
"D-Do you like it?" Talia asked, not sure what was going on between the siblings.
Mephisto ignored her completely and turned to his sister, "Praxina, is that..."
"Consider it my wedding gift," Praxina mused, but Mephisto wasn't joking around.
"Praxina, you should wear mom's dress... I... I didn't know you had it,"
Talia gasped, "This was your moms?"
"Ugh, no. I just... made one that looks alot like it," Praxina corrected, annoyed that Talia would give in to the delusion when she SAW the seamstress make it.
"Well yeah, but... if it was her design then maybe... you should have it, Praxina," Talia suggested, "I have so many dresses, now, I really wouldn't mind,"
"Yeah, Prax," Mephisto said, an excited smile growing on his face, "I bet you'd look really great in it!"
"It's not my style, ok?"
"Come on," Mephisto performed the dressing spell to wrap his sister in a copy of the same gown. With a shocked face she caught herself in one of the tall mirrors. Both she and Mephisto gasped, though their reasons were completely different, "Woah..."
"Praxina," Gasped Talia, "You look... amazing,"
"I agree," The seamstress said, sternly and with not a hint of joy in her voice, "much better on you, Lady Praxina, than this one here,"
It was stunning on her. Solid black, It hugged her thin frame perfectly all the way down to the center of hips where the fabric became looser and longer, splaying out like spilled ink all over the floor. No embellishments, no jutting pieces... but the fabric was adorned with the most subtle of lace all over. Praxina was absolutely stunning.
It was a lovely dress, of course, but it wasn't the dress of a royal. Their mother was a common woman who worked in their village making a modest living selling blossom sprig milk she harvested. But Praxina and Mephisto remembered in the evening, with her hands bandaged from the days work, pouring over her work on a dress. In her youth, she used to love making dresses... but she wasn't good enough to make a career of it... and once the twins father left them, well... she had to be practical.
The dress took years... but only because she worked so diligently to be the best mom she could for them. She would put her project away everytime one of her children needed attention. And even after they had gone to bed she tended to focus that time on making clothes for THEM to wear...
But one day, late in the night, after 3 years of watching her handle stitch by stitch, she woke them both to show them the completed gown. Praxina and Mephisto were absolutely delighted to see her in it. And they of spent the rest of the night in the small shack they shared, playing music and dancing with their mother in their own private gala. It was their happiest memory with her...
"Prax..." Her brother breathed, bringing her back to the present. He ignored a tear coming dangerously close from spilling from his eyes, "You look... just like her..."
Praxina's hand clenched into a tight fist before she wretched herself away the reflection. Summoning her own magic circle she ripped the fabricated dress to shreds, replacing it with the dress she had on before.
"I TOLD YOU, I DIDN'T WANT IT!" Praxina screamed at him, "YOU NEVER LISTEN!"
Mephisto was at a loss for words, watching the remaining pieces of the gown disappear now that they had nothing holding them together. Praxina was gone in a flash of red and black, making Talia gasp at the color. Mephisto called her name and followed, disappearing in green and white.
Talia ran after them, despite not know where they went, and despite the seamstress yelling at her to stay. Talia held the massive amount of frabic in both arms so she could run. She wasn't exactly sure where she would look, but she had to try and find them.
...
Talia wouldn't find them, because Praxina had run off to someplace no one else was familiar with except they two. It was the outskirts of the village they had lived in. A tall tree overlooking the site were it all happened. Where once a small, but beautiful village, lush with life, was now the dark ruins of a gentle people long lost to time...
She wasn't alone with her thoughts for long before her brother was there sitting on the branch a few feet below hers, on the other side of the trunk. She shut her eyes, waiting for him to speak, but no words came. They both just remained silent, looking at their lost home... where they started.
Praxina kept her eyes transfixed on the small shack they once called their home... the roof had caved in directly over the kitchen. The brick was crumbling at the foundation and the north corner was nearly sunk into the mud.
Mephisto looked at the muddy stream on the other end of the village... the overturned cart being buried by vines, the market square that was mostly bricks and split earth now... anything but looking at their house.
"What happened?" He finally asked, breaking the silence. Praxina shut her eyes, already knowing exactly what he was talking about, "The day I caught the Malnura Virus... What happened, really?"
Praxina felt the wind shift around her, a particularly strong gust picking her burgundy tresses up and tousling them about.
"How am I the only survivor? How did we make it out of the quarantine?" He asked, his voice mellow,"You have to tell me, now,"
"I..." The natural authoritative tone in her voice was gone, "I saved you,"
"But how?" Mephisto flew in front of her, blocking her view of the decimated village, he looked like he was getting desperate and maybe even a little scared, "tell me,"
She shivered, a single tear rolling down her cheek, sending a somber dread that racked Mephisto to his core. He became frantic, putting his hands on her shoulders and shaking her.
"What did you do!? Melzors, Praxina, what did you do!?"Mephisto started to shout at her. She looked at him with those grey-blue eyes so full of anguish and hurt. It scared him. It scared him down to his bones.
"I can't..." She finally whispered.
"You have to! It's time, sis,"
"Mephisto..."
"Whatever it is, it's ok, Praxina," Mephisto said it, honestly believing it. No matter what she was sister. No matter what they could get through anything. They always had, "I promise,"
Praxina knew he didn't mean to, but he was lying. She knew once he knew what she did, he would never forgive her... he couldn't. Hell, she could barely forgive herself...
"What did you do?"
"THIS!" Praxina shouted, pushing him off of her. Mephisto floated back, staring at her with the most bewildered look. It took him a moment to realize what she was referring to. He looked over his shoulder at the decrepit village... trying to decipher what she meant. He gasped when the horror finally set in. He looked at the village with fresh eyes... noting the extensive damage that wasn't done by natural causes and through the passage of time. He floated down to investigate further, having not been so close since the day he had overcome to the virus...
He hovered inches over the ground as he looked about. Chunks of buildings missing... having been torn apart by long lost summoned crystal... places where the ground was split and craters resided...
His mind was spinning. But it didn't all come together until he saw a torn apart carriage with a decaying hand grasping out beneath the wreckage.
Mephisto felt like he would retch. He dropped to the ground to his knees, unable to keep himself up any longer.
"What... what have you done, Praxina?" He spoke in a horrified whisper as she floated over to him. Her tears were gone as she stared down at him coldly, her face completely unreadable. Mephisto clenched his teeth as he bit out. Maybe this was all one of her really sick, depraved jokes... maybe, maybe she was just messing with him, "PRAXINA! TELL ME YOU DIDN'T REALLY DO THIS!"
"I had to," her voice was stoic, and empty.
"No..."
"I didn't have a choice,"
"no, No, NO,"
"I couldn't lose you, I couldn't-"
"NO! PRAXINA!" Mephisto scrambled to his feet, his fingers twisting into his hair, tears streaming down his face now, he stared at her and felt himself growing infuriated, "I wasn't... I'm not worth this! My life wasn't more than... than Ciella's or old lady Cante... or... or Mr. and Mrs. Diente... they... they had just had a baby, Praxina!"
"They were dead already!" Praxina bellowed at him, "We all were! It was only a matter of time before this would have been all of us, anyway! You, me, the whole village was dying, just like Mom!"
"You're sick." Mephisto shook his head, "This was wrong,"
"I just... made it quicker for them. Made it faster, easier..." She rationalized, "It was either take the remaining life force of the village and save us or stay here and die slowly next to them. I chose to save us. I did this to save us!"
"Don't... just stop..." Mephisto ordered her, and for once, she obeyed. He took a moment to compose himself. He shook his head to and fro and just started to ramble, "Talia was right... and I was a fool... all this time. I let this all happen..."
"What?"
"She saw you summon a black crystal monster, Praxina!" He barked, and Praxina looked away, resembling a child having been caught in a lie, "Why?! What was it for?"
"That doesn't matter,"
"The hell it doesn't!" Mephisto shouted, "You tell me what's going on, Praxina, right now! Is it Gramorr? What is he having you do!?"
"You never cared before, so why start now?"
"I didn't know..."
"Thats always your excuse," Praxina spat, her voice full of contempt, "Why don't you run back to your precious princess?! Since she's all you seem to care about anymore,"
Mephsito wasn't giving into her bait. Not this time.
"What happened to you, Praxina? How were you even able to do all this? Who taught you dark crystal magic?" Mephisto asked her, but she only grew angrier.
"Don't act like you care!" a burst of energy whipped around her, bits of electricity zapping around her. Her face was contorted and dark and it was obvious the dark energy inside her was starting to take over, "Just stay away from me! From now on, I don't need you!"
"Praxina!" He dashed towards her but she vanish in a gust of red and black flames, leaving her brother alone in her wake... Mephisto felt like he was going to start hyperventilating. Though he had never had one before, he felt like he was having a panic attack. His chest felt like it was on fire and all the oxygen he inhaled couldn't find his lungs properly.
He looked at the unknown person buried beneath the torn cart and knew what he had to do. He floated high into the air and took a deep breath. He raised his hands out and encased the forgotten village in green light. He knew they deserved better... they all did, even he and Praxina... but he knew this was the best he could do, for now. He couldn't let the people who gave him his life decay out in the Zanavian sun another moment. Not one more second. Though it wasn't anything close to the proper funeral they all deserved, he would bury the entire village in a mass grave and mark it off so no one would disturb his peoples resting place. It was the least he could do... and he had to do it.
But burying an entire village, even a small one, took an enormous amount of energy. Energy that Mephisto had little of due to his emotional state. He felt the magic slipping through his fingers and he started to panic. He knew if he dropped it, some of bodies could be tossed around, and he couldn't like that happen. He couldn't, he just couldn't.
Biting back tears, he nearly lost his grip... when suddenly, the load felt much lighter, somehow. He looked up and saw Talia, standing a glowing blue crystal platform in the sky, on the other side of the village. She formed her own magic circle over his, taking half of the weight.
Together they were able complete the burial, and not a trace of the village could be seen... No sooner had the spell been cast did Mephisto's eyes roll into the back of his head and he started to plummet from the sky. Talia screamed his name and performed a crystal levitus to catch him gently.
She levitated him over to her, and searched his body for toxins with a crystal intrusio spell. She found no trace of any virus inside him. She breathed a sigh of relief. He had just used too much energy on the spell.
...
When Mephisto woke up, Talia was with him, sitting off the side of the bed, dressed in the dress
She had tucked him in and had a cool rag laid against his head.
"Talia?" He whisperd, "Where's Praxina,"
"She's ok. Beatrice is with her," Talia answered. Mephisto moved to get up, but Talia ushered him back down, "Woah there, mister. Where do you think you're doing?"
"I have to see my sister,"
"Not yet," Talia told him sternly, "You are in no condition to be putting yourself in that kind of state again. Also you heard her. She needs some space from you for awhile,"
Mephisto grimaced, settling back down, "How much did you hear?"
Talia sat back in an upright position. For whatever reason, she didn't want to lie to him. She gently spoke.
"I... heard about what she did... to save you," Talia instantly felt horrible for that knowledge, "I'm sorry... I wasn't trying to eaves drop I was just..."
"It's fine," Mephisto's voice was haggard at first... But he put on that forced smile he liked to wear as he looked up at her. The mask was on, he was hiding, "A wife's gotta know all the crazy stuff about her in-laws first right? Or else its entrapment, I hear,"
"You don't have to do that," Talia's face softened to a gentle, but sad expression, "Not right now. Not with me,"
She watched as his face melted into what looked like a sob. His hand caught his face and he cried into his palm. Talia had never seen a grown man cry before... it wasn't something her father ever did... and she wasn't exactly close enough with other men to have seen it, but still... it was odd. She didn't think less of him for it, not at all, it was simply new.
"I can't forgive her... I wont ever be able to forgive for this,"
"Of course you can," Talia told him in the gentlest way possible, reaching out stroking his hair the way her mother did for her when she needed consoling, "It'll be hard... and you may always be hurt by it... but you'll forgive her. You just need time to grieve,"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because... she's your sister," Talia told him, shaking her head and speaking as if the question didn't even make sense, "You need each other... like... like the butterfly and the snake, right?"
Mephisto blinked at her, eyes wide. She finally saw his face all tear-stained and red. His eyes and nose were puffy and he looked at her as if she was the most amazing thing he knew.
"What she did was wrong... very wrong... but she was a little girl watching her the only person she loved dying," Talia rationalized, "I'm not saying it's right but... don't you think if it had been her laying there, instead of you... you would do anything to save her? Even something so horrible as that?"
Mephisto didn't say anything, just listened intently to her. He ingested every word she said, every cadence of her voice. She made a lot of good points... Mephisto momentarily forgot to remember just how very young they had been at the time... Maybe Praxina wasn't some monster, after all. Maybe she just needed his help... Maybe she wasn't so lost like he thought she was.
He looked back at his fiance, practically glowing in the light of the sunrise. Shining in from the window. To think... he never would have realized it if not for Talia... he could have been blind to sister's suffering for years and years... maybe he would have never seen it... and it was all thanks to Talia...
"And besides..." Talia started, but didn't get to finish her sentence. Because Mephisto slammed his face into hers, entrapping her lips in the most passionate of kisses. Talia took only a second, a split second to be startled before responding with gusto. Shaking hands enfolded themselves in her crystal blue hair, clutching her at the neck and scalp to draw her in closer.
Talia needed no coaxing, she folded into him, wrapping her arms around his neck for a better grip.
When Mephisto tore away from her it was only to speak 5 very simple words to her, that he breathed out in an exasperated huff, growled out in a rush as if he was afraid he'd lose his nerve if he didn't say it fast enough.
"I love you, Talia,"
Talia's heart fluttered and she stared at him like a deer in the headlights. This was so... so sudden, so shocking.
"You are the most... when I'm with you I... you're just so..."
"Mephisto, you've been through a lot today, I don't think you should-"
"I mean it, Talia," He insisted, though she was unconvinced. She gave him a face that easily said so, but Mephisto frowned, "You don't believe me? Fine,"
Mephisto slipped out of bed and knelt in front of her on the floor on one knee. He conjured up a simple green crystal ring and presented to her, with the sweetest smile Talia had ever seen.
Talia started to laugh. Another classic Mephisto gag, "Nice try, Meph. We're already engaged, remember?"
"I'm not asking you to marry me because my Uncle threatened war if we don't," Mephisto told her, taking her left hand and holding it close, "I'm asking you... for you,"
"I'm asking you to marry me for no other reason than us to be together... I'm asking you... to... to keep helping me be better and to keep playing parlor games with me and to keep me up all night reading boring things I don't care about. I'm asking...you, Talia, to... love me... if you do... if you can,"
Talia stared at him with fearful eyes. The gravity of the situation was setting in. She knew that Izira was planning on saving her. Everything she had done up to this point was to fool Mephisto and the others into thinking she was happy...
but she played the game too well, she realized... because she fooled herself along the way.
Watching him like this, hearing his awkwardly romantic words, and tasting his lips against hers...
She didn't want it to stop.
Mephisto saw the pain in her eyes, and assumed to know what she was thinking, "Look, I get it... It's nuts, right? But... I promise, if you don't want this... I'll understand... and everything I said before, about 'walking side-by-side with other people'... I meant. We can do that if you want to,"
"What do you mean?"
"Talia, if you don't wanna be with me, then don't be with me. I know we have to get married, no matter what, but... I wont keep you. We'll live together and share a room, but not a bed. You can see whoever you want and- and when Gramorr dies, I'll let you go... Just like I promised,"
"Mephisto..."
"I just... didn't know... how much you mean to me until just now... the thought of you being unhappy... is just... I can't handle it," He scratched the back of his head, completely blown away by just how much his heart hurt thinking of being married to the woman he loved out of a technicality... and having to step aside for her to be happy with someone else while in that marriage. He knew he could do it for her... but man, that was really, really painful to think about.
"So... Will you marry me, Talia?"
Talia didn't know what to say. What was she to do? In her heart she knew she had very strong feelings for Mephisto... but love? So soon? Did she? Could she?
Looking at him, hazing up at her with those perfect eyes she realized that she had nothing to be afraid of from him... everything she had seen had told her that he was an honest man when it came to her. Was he selfish and immature at times? Of course... but in he time she had been here, he had done everything to help her and keep her happy, despite the situation... despite not liking her very much at first...
She didn't love him, and in truth, she was certain he didn't love her. She was sure he was just overcome with emotions...
But she knew Izira was still planning on coming. She knew that Izira with Iris and Auriana could start a war over this... and she would do it without any regrets. Was Talia truly willing to risk the life of the people that meant the most to her? Especially when there was black crystal magic being used here? Would freedom from the marriage really be worth losing her sister or friends?
She knew that they would give their lives for her happiness. She knew that and felt tremendous guilt... how could she risk their lives when a man so good and pure would promise to treat her with respect and adoration and ask for nothing in return? She was no longer a victim to him. She never was, it seems.
She may not have chosen him, and it was very true that she knew she didn't love him...
"I will," Talia leaned down and planted a kiss on Mephisto's lips. A solid, firm kiss that poured just as much of her heart as he did for his.
She didn't love him, but she knew she was getting there...
and she wanted to.
...
A couple of notes: Mephisto and Praxina were not in danger of contracting the virus again because they already had it as kids and were therefore safe from it due to the spell Praxina used to save them.
More on that later.
also there may or may not be a missing smut chapter posted separately for the next scene =T
